Baptized in Fire and Spirit

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Luke 3:16-18
February 25, 2024

Luke 3:16-18: The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.

Sermon Outline

1. The voice in the desert

2. Why people came

• Many felt spiritual need

• Fear of death

• Others came for lesser reasons

3. “I baptize you with water”

• A Ritual cleansing

• An illustration of a greater person than John

4. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”

• What John means by “baptize”

• Holy Spirit at creation

• Holy Spirit helps people over what threatens them

• Holy Spirit purifies people’s very souls

• John proclaims people will gain the Holy Spirit through the Messiah

5. “He will baptize you with fire”

• Terrible judgment/consequences for sins

• John exhorts, “Repent!”

• To those who repent, the fire of judgment was endured by Jesus Christ

• Thus, Messiah’s offer of baptism is good news

6. Final applications

True Spirituality and Spiritual Fruit

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Speaker: Dave Royes
Scripture: Mark 11:11-25
February 18, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. A parable of empty religion

• A lens for what Jesus is about to do

• How false religion works

2. An explanation of authentic spirituality

• Genuine belief in God’s power

• Dependence on God in prayer

• The forgiveness of your Father in heaven

3. Hope for true change

• Christ was sacrificed for our sins

King Jeroboam's Rival Religion

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 12:25-33
February 11, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. How Jeroboam strengthened his new country

• He strengthened two key cities

• He revamped worship in Israel

2. How Jeroboam founded a new religion

• How they would worship

• Where they would worship

• Who would lead them in worship

• When they would worship

• Why do these things matter?

3. Today’s false religion

• “Spiritual but not religious”

• Progressive Christianity

• All the above is self-invented religion

Israel is Split (Jeroboam's Revolt)

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 11:26-40, 12:1-24
February 4, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim

• Ephraim’s early promise

• Tensions with other tribes

• Crown given to David of the tribe of Judah

• Jeroboam put over labor force of Ephraim and Manasseh

2. Ahijah’s Prophecy to Jeroboam

3. Result of the Prophecy

• Jeroboam revolts, fails, and flees

• The prophecy is fulfilled

4. Lessons

• Your spiritual condition affects those around you and those who come after you

• God is sovereign over national calamities

• God’s determination to save his people can never be stopped

Our Unity is His Priority

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Speaker: Matt Carter
Scripture: John 17:20-23
January 28, 2024

John 17:20-23: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Sermon Outline

1. Who is Jesus praying for?

• Jesus is praying for those who will believe

• What did Jesus want for us?

2. In what sense is Jesus in the Father, and vice versa?

• The Word was with God and the Word was God

• The Father was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Christ

3. Why does Jesus pray so fervently about our unity in him?

• Unity in such a diverse group of people testifies that Jesus is in our midst

• Unity in the midst of diversity is messy and costly

Benediction

May you be found hidden in Christ and in God the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit living in you. And may the unity that comes from having been hidden there well up in expressions of love for God and for the diverse body of believers around you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. — paraphrased from Colossians 3:3 & John 17:20-23

God Builds David a House

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 11:9-13 & 2 Samuel 7:1-17
January 21, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Human reason can lead godly leaders down the wrong path

2. God is surprisingly humble

• God has gladly gone without a temple for a long time

• In this sense, God is not like other “gods”

3. God is kind and full of grace

• He reminds David of his past grace and kindness

• He promises David future grace and kindness

• He promises David a dynasty

• Why is God kind to David and his dynasty?

4. God promises that David’s dynasty will be unending

• Death will not annul this promise

• Sin cannot destroy the promise

• Time will not exhaust the promise

Solomon’s Fall, God’s Verdict

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 11:1-43
January 14, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Introducing Solomon’s sin

• His drift into idolatry

• Young Solomon wouldn’t have dreamed of following other gods

• How he started with other gods

2. God became angry with Solomon

3. God’s discipline of Solomon

• Discipline via Hadad of Edom

• Discipline via Rezon of Aram

• Discipline via Jeroboam

4. Lessons

• Drifting is deceitful because it happens gradually

• Drifting has a domino effect

• It matters who we are close to

• Where there is repentance, mercy trumps sin and discipline

Benediction

Jude 24-25: To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Solomon's Golden Reign

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 3-10 & Revelation 5:12
January 7, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Solomon as a ruler of power and strength

2. Solomon as a ruler of wisdom

• God appears to him at Gibeon

• The two prostitutes

• Wisdom in literature and natural sciences

3. Solomon as a ruler of wealth

• Refinery at the Gulf of Aqaba

• Overland trade routes

• Sea-going trade

• Result

4. Solomon as worthy

5. Solomon as a ruler of honor, glory, and praise

Stewardship Failure and the Gospel

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Speaker: Wendell Stoltzfus
Scripture: Malachi 3:6-12
December 31, 2023

Malachi 3:6-12: “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

Sermon Outline

1. Introduction

2. Robbing God

• Admonition

• Extortion

• Condemnation

3. Returning to God

• Exhortation

• Declaration

• Protection

• Reputation

4. Practical applications

Christ's Poverty, Our Wealth

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:9
December 24, 2023

2 Corinthians 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Sermon Outline

1. Jesus Christ was rich

• Rich in possessions

• Rich in the ability to create yet more

• Rich in honor

• Rich in love

2. Jesus Christ became poor

• Born into poverty

• Lived as a human

• Had no place to lay his head

• Endured frustration and sorrow

3. The result of Christ’s poverty is our wealth in heaven

• You’re rich in possessions

4. Applications

• For non-Christians

• For Christians

Faith Rewarded Tomorrow

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Hebrews 11:35-40
December 17, 2023

Hebrews 11:35-40, NIV: Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:35-40, ESV: Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated — of whom the world was not worthy — wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Sermon Outline

1. True faith may seem unrewarded in this life

• Being confined

• Loss of home or comfort

• Physical pain

• A painful death

• Emotional pain

2. God commends his faithful by contrasting them with the world

• What God condemns

• What God loves

3. God’s great plan for those with faith

• Verse 40 is speaking of Old Testament believers after death

• Verse 40 is also speaking of all believers on the world’s final day

Benediction

Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Full Extent of His Love (and Brick Lane’s Vision for 2024)

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: John 13:1-2
December 10, 2023

John 13:1-2, NIV: It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served , and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.

Sermon Outline

1. Jesus washes his disciples’ feet

• Jesus had already loved them 1,000 ways

• Now He shows them the full extent of his love

2. Jesus enables us to love him and other people without exhaustion

3. Brick Lane goals for 2024

• Ministries

  • Public worship

  • Internal ministries

  • Expand local outreach

  • International outreach

• What these ministries need

  • A building

  • Staff

  • Finances

  • Prayer

Faith Rewarded in This Life

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Hebrews 11:32-35
December 3, 2023

Hebrews 11:32-35: And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again.

Sermon Outline

1. Our author’s approach in chapter 11

2. A general and a judge

• Barak

• Samson

3. Four famous faithful foreigners

• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

• Daniel

4. Two anonymous women

• The Zarephath widow

• The Shunammite woman

• Summary

5. Some principles

• Many times, God rewards our faith in this life

• God rewards our faith even in times of national decline

• God rewards the faith of people whose faith has faltered

Benediction

May God give you grace to persevere in faith, so when you’ve done the will of God you’ll receive what He has promised. — paraphrased from Hebrews 10:36

Thanksgiving and (Not) Understanding

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Speaker: Steve Boyer
Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-20
November 26, 2023

Ephesians 5:15-20: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…

Sermon Outline

1. Thanksgiving as memory (Psalm 136)

• Giving thanks for all the good things

• Giving thanks must become a habit

2. Thanksgiving as anticipation (Luke 22:14-20)

• Trusting God to keep his promises

3. Thanksgiving as faith (Ephesians 5)

• Giving thanks in these evil day

• Giving thanks in the Name of Jesus

• Giving thanks even when we don’t understand

Faith at the Walls of Jericho

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Hebrews 11:30-31
November 19, 2023

Hebrews 11:30-31: By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

Sermon Outline

1. The setting

2. Several days earlier...

• Spies are inside the city

• In Rahab's house

3. Jericho vs. Jehovah

• Day one

• Days two through seven

4. Lessons

• True faith overcomes insurmountable odds

• True faith results in doing

• True faith saves even the most unworthy

Moses' Faith Rescues Others

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Hebrews 11:28-29
November 12, 2023

Hebrews 11:28-29: By faith [Moses] kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

Sermon Outline

1. The Israelites believed the warning that judgement was coming

• Punishing plagues

2. The Israelites believed Moses' directions to escape the tenth plague

• Only one method of salvation was given

• The people obeyed

• That dreadful night

3. Crossing the Red Sea

• 600,000 freed men and their families march out of Egypt

• God leads them south

• Pharaoh goes after them

• The miraculous parting of the Red Sea

4. Lessons

• True faith benefits not just yourself, but others

• True faith believes not just the Bible's good news, but also the bad news

• True faith always focuses on God as Savior, not on imitating the actions of true believers

The Faith of Moses

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Hebrews 11:24-27
November 5, 2023

Hebrews 11:24-27: By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he preserved because he saw him who is invisible.

Sermon Outline

1. The life Moses was adopted into

• The food he was served

• The surroundings he grew accustomed to

• The first-rate education he received

2. When he was grown, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter

• He chose one kind of life and forsook another

• What life did Moses choose?

• What life did Moses refuse?

• The result of his choice

3. How was Moses able to do this?

• He was enabled by faith

• He considered the facts

• Fact: Sin brings pleasure -- heaven brings ecstasy

• Fact: Sin's pleasures are brief -- God's ecstasies are forever

4: Conclusion

Faith for the Next Generation: The Parents of Moses

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Hebrews 11:23
October 29, 2023

Hebrews 11:23: By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

Sermon Outline

1. Background: Israel's history in Egypt

• Israel (aka Jacob) moves to Egypt with his family

• The Hyksos take over Egypt and enslave the Israelites

• The Egyptians regain control

2. The family of Moses

• Parents, brother, and sister

• "...they saw he was no ordinary child"

• His parents' life-saving plan

• This is what the readers of Hebrews needed to read

3. How God spared Moses

4. Lessons

• It's absolutely necessary for believing parents to trust the Sovereignty of God

• It's the absolute responsibility of parents to raise their children from their earliest days to know the one true God

This Present Age and the Age to Come

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Various passages
October 22, 2023

Sermon Outline

1. Suffering was introduced to the world by the fall of man

• There was no suffering before Adam and Eve sinned

• After the fall, Earth became a hostile place

• God promised the restoration of paradise

2. The present age and the age to come

• How are they described?

• When will the age to come occur?

  • Already, but not yet

3. Why does God heal some, but not others?

• The age to come has begun, but has not been consummated yet

• Jesus healed to show what the Kingdom of God was like, but never intended to heal every disease of every believer

4. Conclusion

• Did Jesus die so believers could live the good life on this earth?

• Believers, past and present, have tasted the powers of the age to come

We Live by Surrendering

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Speaker: Matt Carter
Scripture: Romans 8:12-17
October 15, 2023

Romans 8:12-17: Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation — but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Sermon Outline

1. Which is easier: fight or surrender?

2. The deceitfulness of our sinful nature

• Promises fulfillment, but doesn't deliver

• Surrender to our sinful nature produces death

3. The life-giving leadership of the Holy Spirit

• Those led by the Holy Spirit are children of God

4. Application